irony

//ˈaɪ.rə.ni//
B2Frequency Level 9Neutral
Visual representation of irony

Noun

ironySingular
ironiesPlural
1

The expression of meaning through language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

She said "What lovely weather" with heavy irony as the rain poured down.

2

A state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.

The irony is that the fire station burned down.

3

A literary technique in which the audience understands more about a situation than the characters do.

The play uses dramatic irony when the audience knows the hero's fate before he does.

irony - Deep Vocabulary